1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to energy converters. Specifically, the present invention is directed to energy converters for converting incident electromagnetic energy into thermal energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The contemporary interest in energy converters, particularly solar energy converters has been increased by shortages in conventional energy sources such as oil, coal, etc. While the use of so-called solar converters is well known, the conventional solar converter suffers from an inherent lack of efficiency in converting the incident electromagnetic energy, i.e., light, into thermal energy. Thus, in order to provide energy for house heating, steam generation, etc. the conventional inefficient solar converter is dependent on the use of a relatively large area for collecting the incident electromagnetic energy. Conversely, prior art attempts to improve the conversion efficiency, such as focusing of the incident energy are effective to produce higher temperatures but use bulky structures which are inappropriate for uses such as house heating wherein the solar converter is to be unobtrusively integrated into the design of the surrounding house or other structure. Accordingly, an improvement in the efficiency of conventional solar converters would permit the use of significantly smaller converter units which would decrease the initial cost of a solar converter as well as improving its operation while allowing the smaller physical size to be more readily incorporated into a house or other structure.